


What in the Blue Blazes?!

by KristenSharpe



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Comedy, Drabble Collection, Drama, Episode Tag, Family, Friendship, Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 6,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7980511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KristenSharpe/pseuds/KristenSharpe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My catch-all entry for short "Blue Exorcist" fics. Because the bunnies would not be denied.  Latest Entry:  The trick was to keep your spirits up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio knows Rin has never failed at what's most important.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, probably pre-series. This was one of my earliest "Blue Exorcist" pieces, so the characterization may be a little off.

**Title:** Failure  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 17, 2011  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
Sometimes, Yukio watched Rin trail in late with new bruises and old excuses, and it filled him with fury.  
  
Rin had an easy life. All of them worked hard to insure that.  
  
All Rin had to do was go to school and stay out of trouble. Rin didn’t have to fight demons. Rin didn’t have to worry about someone learning the truth.  
  
So, why couldn’t his thick-headed brother get it right? He was failing all his classes, and barely three days could pass without him starting a fight.  
  
How hard was it to stay awake in class? To stay out of trouble? To walk away?  
  
Except Rin _did_ walk away. When _he_ was the one attacked.  
  
It was only when other people were hurting that Rin couldn’t ignore it.  
  
Then, he would swoop in like an avenging angel. And, Yukio wasn’t sure if the irony should make him laugh or cry. So, he just sighed and let the anger rush away.  
  
Because Rin wouldn’t be Rin if he could walk away.  
  
And, Rin’s clumsy, well-intentioned disasters were why Yukio would always protect him. Even from himself.  
  
Rin might be a failure in society’s eyes. But, his heart had never failed.


	2. Draw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto Pheles won all his bets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set at the end of the anime with potential spoilers for the whole series.

**Title:** Draw   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** February 28, 2012  
 **Warnings:** Full series spoilers for the anime.  
 **Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
Mephisto Pheles won all his bets. His bets, his challenges, and his games. He took great pride in his skill at gambling with mortal hearts and souls.  
  
Alright, there was that _one_ miscalculation with the composer. But, all he lost was a symphony. It hardly counted.  
  
Still, Mephisto thought, perched atop his ruined toy box, even with a perfect record at stake, sometimes one made allowances. Especially when betting against a good friend.  
  
Considering, he watched with shadowed eyes as the Okumura brothers and their fellow students gathered below. Watched Rin smile, all fangs and inhuman blue eyes, with that tail he hadn’t the sense to hide waving behind him. Watched Yukio urge everyone to rest, newly formed fangs flashing in his own mouth with each word.  
  
They were both demon in form now. Their heritage shown for all to see, like the blue fire that had burned the sky not an hour earlier.  
  
And yet… humanity shown just as clearly through their actions.  
  
Mephisto came to a conclusion. Raising a hand, he swept it out to encompass the brothers, their friends, and the laughter rising from devastation.  
  
“It’s a draw!” he shouted. “Do you hear me, Shiro? A draw!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Internet points if you catch the Trans-Siberian Orchestra reference ;)


	3. Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio has a decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, most any time.

**Title:** Decision  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 4, 2012  
**Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
Yukio settled two containers on his desk and regarded them critically. The day would inevitably require one or the other. Lately, every day did. It was just a matter of which and in what amount.  
  
A yelp interrupted his debate. A yelp and an almighty crash and clatter that shook the building.   
  
Frozen in his chair, Yukio listened to the sounds fade. Then, slowly, he turned to face the door. His brother’s voice echoed from the hallway.  
  
“Oi, oi! That doesn’t look—!”   
  
Decision made, Yukio tossed down a handful of both painkillers and antacid and bolted for the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Yukio... And, yes, I love Rin and don't think he's _trying_ to give his brother an ulcer and/or an aneurysm. Trouble just follows Rin around.


	4. Obvious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izumo wonders why no one else can see the obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity after Rin's secret comes out.

**Title:** Obvious  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 5, 2012  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
It had been staring them in the face all along, and everyone else was too blind to see it.  
  
Okumura was a demon? What a shock.  
  
Hadn’t they seen his ears? His _teeth_?   
  
No, they hadn’t been there when he punched her familiars, fists striking spirit beasts as easily as solid flesh. But, everyone had seen him shrug off the ghoul’s miasma.  
  
So, why were they shocked _now_?   
  
The son of _Satan_? As if.  
  
The son of Satan would have had a better disguise, been a better liar.  
  
Okumura was just Okumura.   
  
And, they were still too blind to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all in Izumo's voice, so please don't take any snarking at the other students as my opinion. I actually love them all.


	5. Dwindling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio starts hoping that Shura is paying more attention than she lets on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse speculation written after the Kyoto/Impure King Arc.

**Title:** Dwindling  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** November 1, 2012  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for the Kyoto Arc and beyond.  
 **Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
Somewhere, in the days and weeks and months after Kyoto, Yukio starts hoping that Shura is paying more attention than she lets on. Shura is always more a lot of things than she lets on. She’s infuriating like that.  
  
But, this is important.   
  
Because he can feel it. The burning. It’s been growing inside him since Kyoto.   
  
And, his resistance is dwindling.  
  
Once it’s gone, he thinks Shura might be able to do what needs to be done. Nii-san won’t. But, Shura isn’t so idealistic.   
  
If she’ll only notice in time… because he already lacks the will to tell her.


	6. Slipping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio's going down so fast she’s not sure he can stop. Companion to "Dwindling".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse speculation written after the Kyoto/Impure King Arc.

**Title:** Slipping  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** November 1, 2012  
 **Warnings:** Spoilers for the Kyoto Arc and beyond.  
 **Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

  
Yukio is slipping. Has been slipping since she came to True Cross in disguise. He was hovering on the edge when she met him years ago. But, Shiro kept it in check then. Until he died and Rin awoke and something _happened_ in Kyoto, and now Yukio’s going down so fast she’s not sure he can stop.  
  
But, she wants to give him the chance.  
  
Because the alternative…  
  
_Stop kidding yourself_.  
  
The alternative is that Rin’s going to insist on saving something beyond saving, and he’s going to look at her with _those_ eyes, and she’s going to say yes.


	7. One-Sided

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin's seemingly one-sided shouting matches were always interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, any time.

**Title:** One-Sided  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** February 12, 2013  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** "Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist" belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, A-1 Pictures, Aniplex, and various other parties. 

* * *

In the end, Okumura being a demon really didn’t change anything for his friends. He was still the same guy who slept through class, cooked like a pro, and was always willing to help. Watching him fight, however, was an experience. And, not for any of the expected reasons.

“Yeah?” Okumura landed twenty feet from the demon, gripping his sword. “ _Your_ mom!”

The demon roared.

Okumura snorted. “What kind of comeback is that?” Sword raised, he charged again.

Behind him, his classmates could only stare.

“Did he just—?” Shima started.

“Don’t ask,” Suguro warned. “We’re better off not knowing.”


	8. Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exorcists, Fujimoto Shiro mused, were surprisingly agnostic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, pre-series.

**Title:** Faith  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** February 19, 2013  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

Exorcists, Fujimoto Shiro mused as he gently applied bandages, were surprisingly agnostic. Oh, none doubted the effectiveness of holy scripture. Not after the first time it saved their lives. But, they had seen too much of demons and too little of divine intervention to be particularly religious despite existing under the auspices of the Vatican.  
  
For most of his life, he had been no different.  
  
“Dad?” a little voice asked carefully, “did I mess up again?”  
  
Shiro looked up from tending skinned knees to consider his eldest son’s face. Blood was crusted beneath his nose. Blue eyes were bright with concern.   
  
The difference began with those eyes. They had caused a hardened warrior to become a father. A priest in name only to become a man of genuine faith.  
  
“I didn’t _start_ the fight,” Rin continued. “Kumiko was crying, and they wouldn’t leave her alone, and I—”  
  
Shiro wrapped his arms around the boy – this boy who cared so deeply - and pulled him close.  
  
His own faith began with this boy. Because what could it be but divine intervention that the only son of Satan to inherit his terrible flames had also been given a loving, human heart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been a little bothered that I couldn't find a way to work in a mention of Yukio here. I certainly don't mean to imply that Yukio was any less important to Shiro or was any less important in Shiro's transformation into a loving father. If _that_ difference began with Rin, it's only because Rin was born first.


	9. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tatsuma remained frozen, watching in silence as young Rin grabbed his son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, potential spoilers for the Kyoto Arc.

p> **Title:** Trust  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** July 12, 2013  
 **Warnings:** Potential spoilers for the Kyoto Arc.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

Tatsuma’s first sight of the flames - those hellish blue flames that had once filled the night with horror – sent panic through him. For an instant, the words to summon Karura were on his lips, his hands were moving in a warding gesture, and he thought he had been terribly wrong.  
  
“I don’t _want_ to be Satan’s son!”   
  
The instant broke with the pain-filled words, and Ryuji’s barrier followed it. But, Tatsuma remained frozen, watching in silence as young Rin grabbed his son. Watching the rude, reckless boy who truly only meant to help.  
  
It reminded him of another time. A time when the world had been white and cold, and a rude, reckless man had barged into his temple and his life and saved everyone.  
  
Stepping back to wait, Tatsuma checked the letter tucked into his sleeve. His first impression had been right.   
  
He could trust Fujimoto Shiro’s son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In re-reading the Kyoto Arc, I realized that Tatsuma was standing just behind Rin when he and Bon/Ryuji fight. Yet, Tatsuma never intervenes, even though everyone else clearly thinks Bon's in danger.


	10. Scripted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto likes it when everyone is on script.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, spoilers for chapters 48-49 of the manga and onward.

**Title:** Scripted  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 8, 2013  
 **Warnings:** Spoilers for chapters 48-49 of the manga and onward.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

“We’ll find Izumo and Shima, and we’re gonna bring ‘em back!”  
  
Mephisto barely kept himself from clapping at the declaration. Ah, young Okumura was perfectly on script.  
  
As he left the students and moved on to gather up disorganized exorcists, Mephisto fought the temptation to retreat to his office and begin planning the course of the upcoming rescue arc. There would be Boss Battles, a Distressed Damsel, possibly a Heel Face Turn. (He hadn’t decided which way to nudge that situation yet.) All playing out before him.   
  
His own personal shounen manga.  
  
He should have thought of it years ago.


	11. Playwright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto Pheles was nothing so simple as a chessmaster; he was a playwright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity. A more serious extension of the thoughts behind "Scripted".

**Title:** Playwright  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 11, 2013  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

Mephisto Pheles was nothing so simple as a chessmaster. He was a playwright.  
  
True, his actors were a motley group. Some hand-picked, some discovered by chance when they wandered out of the wings. But, he found a role for them all.  
  
And, if his script sometimes wandered itself, that was fine. It was his preference. A script should be a living thing, open to change and revision. He even let the actors contribute.  
  
But, if his actors were motley and his script wandering, his stage was grand.  
  
Because Mephisto Pheles was a playwright, and all the world was his stage.


	12. Inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio had trained in deception all his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, potential spoilers for chapters 49 and up.

**Title:** Inevitable  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** November 25, 2013  
 **Warnings:** Mangaverse, potential spoilers for chapters 49 and up.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

 

Yukio watched Todo Saburota burn and found that he felt nothing. No satisfaction. No relief.  
  
It had simply been inevitable.  
  
He waited until the last of the demon man’s screams died and the flicker of his stolen power guttered out, consumed. Then, Yukio withdrew his own flame - blue, of course - and turned to his audience.  
  
“A pity Todo-san overstepped his bounds,” said Lucifer. “He was a talented recruiter.”  
  
Yukio was silent.  
  
“It’s fortunate we have a ready replacement.” Lucifer extended a hand.  
  
Yukio smiled then, the guileless, gentle smile he had been perfecting since childhood.  
  
“So it is.”   
  
This too was inevitable.  
  
He had trained in deception all his life. A fact Todo had willfully overlooked. He wondered if Lucifer would as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A random thought on how things could eventually play out with Yukio. Not the outcome I'm hoping for though.


	13. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His father wasn’t a coward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse at the end of the Kyoto/Impure King Arc. Just a hypothetical scene between Bon and his father before the students left Kyoto.

**Title:** Understanding  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** December 23, 2013  
 **Warnings:** Spoilers for the Kyoto Arc.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

            His father wasn’t a coward.

            As he waited to board the bus leaving Kyoto, that thought kept ringing in Bon’s head.  It was a bright point of pride and a tight ball of frustration rolled together.

            Because the secrecy still stung.  Even if he understood it.  And, he understood the price of Karura’s contract well. 

            But, more than that, what was the old baldy up to with this retirement act?  It wasn’t fooling anyone.

            “ _You’re too old for lullabies_.”

            Scowling, Bon watched his father talk to Okumura, grunting along when needed. Then, Okumura was bounding for the bus.  Following, Bon glanced back and saw his father’s smile grow serious. 

            Their eyes met.  And, suddenly, he knew that he had been meant to know.

            He looked away and smothered surprise in a fresh scowl.  It wasn’t an explanation, but it would do for now.

            Because his father _still_ wasn’t a coward.


	14. Reputation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone had heard the rumors about Okumura Rin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity. And, non-exorcist students don't even know Rin's the son of Satan.

**Title:** Reputation  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** April 5, 2014  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

             Nakamura Itsuki had heard about Okumura Rin.  _Everyone_ had heard the rumors about Okumura Rin.  He was probably in a gang.  He was supernaturally strong.  He was failing every class.  The teachers were afraid to actually _let_ him fail.  

            The failing part was definitely true.  Everyone agreed about Okumura’s terrible test scores.  And yet, he hadn’t been expelled. 

            Okumura had no known family connections, which meant he probably had... _other_ connections.

            So, when Itsuki accidentally knocked over the school’s most terrifying student only for Okumura to _smile_ and offer him a hand up... while casually dropping a list of his class assignments, Itsuki knew what he had to do.

            Although, when he handed over the required homework with Okumura’s name on it, he wasn’t quite sure what Okumura’s blank stare meant.  Or why his equally delinquent-looking friend with the bleached mohawk started laughing.  Itsuki was just glad to escape unharmed.


	15. Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When he hesitated to destroy the all-too-human zombies, Rin knew the others didn't understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse during the Inari Arc.

**Title:** Humanity  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** April 22, 2014  
 **Warnings:** Spoilers for manga chapters 55 and 56  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

            When he hesitated to destroy the all-too-human zombies, Rin knew the others didn’t understand. He didn’t _want_ them to understand.   
  
            They were human and would always be human. They didn’t have to hold their humanity in a white-knuckled grip while all the world tried to tear it away.  
  
            And, he was glad of that.   
  
            But, it didn’t work that way for him. He was a monster and had always been a monster, just now everyone could see it. His only humanity was in what he _did_. And, in what he _didn’t_ do.  
  
            Monsters killed humans.   
  
            And so, he could not.


	16. Apprentice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If I don’t see you for two minutes, you’re somewhere raising the devil."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity. An attempt to guess at Shiro and Shura's early interactions written well before Shura's backstory was revealed. Thanks to SageSK for steering me back on track.

**Title:** Apprentice  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** August 15, 2014  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

             A calloused hand closed over small, grasping fingers, and Shiro smirked in triumph.

            “Got you again, brat.”

            Caught, Shura pouted and let his wallet slip from her trapped hand.  “How do you always know?”

            “Instincts.”  Shiro released her hand and glared down at the red-haired girl.  “That and, it’s a proven fact: if I don’t see you for two minutes, you’re somewhere raising the devil.”

            Shura grinned back, unrepentant.  “It’s your own fault.  You could send me back…”

            Her tone was light, her grin wicked, and her eyes haunted.

            Shiro cursed himself for going soft in the same breath he resigned himself to the tests and taunts.            

            “Haha.  Now, turn out your pockets.” 

            Let her test him.  He would never send her back.  Someday, she’d believe that. 

            In the meantime… Well, there had to be _some_ use for an apprentice who could pickpocket twelve wallets with no one the wiser.


	17. Logical Fallacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konekomaru didn’t want to remember the sensation of spectral talons curling around his heart, of sibilant whispers filling his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Animeverse, centered around the anime-only episode 18

**Title:** Logical Fallacy  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 10, 2014  
 **Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

              Konekomaru didn’t want to remember being possessed by the Gufu.  Didn’t want to remember the sensation of spectral talons curling around his heart, of sibilant whispers filling his mind.

            But, he was an exorcist, and what he wanted wasn’t important.  He _needed_ to remember.  To analyze.  To understand.

            So, he fought past the fear to record every whisper.  It took a week. A week of painful stops and more painful starts.  But, when he finished, the depth of the demon’s lies was finally clear.

            Some he already knew.  Protect his friends?  Only until the demon could poison his heart against them. 

            But, there was one lie he almost missed.  Because it wasn’t any single thing the Gufu had said.  It was _everything_.

            “ _If you had my power, you wouldn’t have to fear the son of Satan._ ”

            The Gufu was a mid-level demon.  Dangerous, intelligent, and ruled by its hunger for negative emotions.  But, hunger didn’t override survival.

            A mid-level demon defeat Satan’s son?

            The Gufu wouldn’t have even _tried_ if it hadn’t realized the truth Konekomaru had refused to see.

            The demon _couldn’t_ give him the strength to over-power Okumura.  But, Okumura could. If he refused to fight a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's a good chance that the Gufu was so dense it didn't realize that Bullying a Dragon is a bad, bad idea. But, I thought it would be interesting to explore the angle that the Gufu had a better understanding of Rin's character than Konekomaru did.


	18. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was far too late when Fujimoto Shiro finally realized how the magic that hid Rin from demons worked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity.

**Title:** Sacrifice  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** February 21, 2015  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

            The first time a demon lazily sailed over a baby Rin as though he wasn’t there, Shiro was overjoyed.  The seal worked!  Then, he hurried to banish the demon and comfort a crying Yukio.

            The second time demons ignored Rin, Shiro was confused.  Rin’s rampage in the kindergarten classroom should have attracted _something_.  Especially since Yukio’s neighboring classroom had had a flood of coaltar the same morning.

            The third time, Shiro was enraged.  Watching a hobgoblin charge past an oblivious Rin to lunge at Yukio, he finally realized the truth.

           Rin hadn’t been made invisible; Yukio had become a beacon.


	19. Last Resort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio wondered how their father had dealt with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity.

**Title:** Last Resort   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** February 25, 2015   
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           Watching the Exwire’s latest disastrous training mission - more to the point, watching his brother set fire to everything inanimate within ten feet of his sword - Yukio wondered how their father had dealt with it. 

           Admittedly, Father Fujimoto  _hadn’t_  had to deal with the hellfire. But, he  _had_  dealt with the reckless, devil-may-care attitude. With a fatherly approval for things done right that meant little coming from a brother. With scolding that meant even less coming from a  _little_ brother. And, with...

           Oh, it couldn’t be that easy.

           Rin raised his sword for another mad charge.

           But, it worked for Shura. It even worked for Suguro, come to think of it.

           With a roar, Rin started to move.

           And, Yukio lunged forward to take a chance.

           The muscles flexing under his arm were like steel. Until they abruptly loosened, and his captive went limp. Like a puppy taken by the scruff.

            “Awk! Yukio! What are you doing?”

           Caught in his brother’s headlock, Rin wheeled his arms. But, it was a token protest. He was too afraid of hurting Yukio to force his way out.

           Yukio felt a thrill of triumph.

           “ _I_  should be asking that,” he said, tightening his grip. “Exactly what did you think you were doing?”

           And, as a suddenly meek Rin actually  _listened_ , Yukio wished he’d tried Father’s tactics months ago.


	20. Time and Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In short, I have already turned back time for you many, many times, Okumura Rin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, references the Kyoto/Impure King Arc.

**Title:** Time and Again  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** March 6, 2015  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

 

                        Crouched helplessly, _uselessly_ beside Shiemi as she treated their wounded classmates, Rin wondered how things had gone so terribly wrong.  He fumbled through her instructions - pass this, hold that - as his mind screamed, “ _Why, why, why?_ ”

            “My, my, my.  This _is_ a mess.”

            Rin looked up.

            _That clown_ had appeared, mincing over the battlefield like he was afraid to dirty his tacky boots. 

           Confusion swung to rage.

            Rin lunged across the distance between them to ball crisp, white fabric in his fist.

            “How could you let this happen?” he snarled.

            Mephisto regarded him calmly.  “Well, you can’t expect me to coddle you forever.”

            “ _Coddle me?_ ”  Red flickered in Rin’s eyes.

            “Coddle,” said Mephisto.  “Do you have any idea how many times I have _not_ let things happen?”  Green eyes glinted.  “Do you know how many times the Grigori demanded your execution before you found the right words to sway them?”

            “ _What?_ ”

            “Or the Impure King.”  Mephisto shuddered.  “I lived that little escapade more times than I care to think.”  

            Rin was staring now, anger forgotten as Mephisto flashed a smile of sharp fangs.

            “In short, I have already turned back time for you many, _many_ times, Okumura Rin.”


	21. Horticulture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was Shiemi who made all their lies into truths.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity.

**Title:** Horticulture   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** May 20, 2015   
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

            In the end, it was Shiemi who made all their lies into truths.  
  
            First, in her own life. She became the compassionate healer Yukio could only pretend to be with his heart wrapped in steel and his hands that reeked of gunpowder. She became the confident hero Rin fought to be even as new doubts and old wounds gnawed at his easy smile from the shadows.  
  
            And then, smiling, she reached back and pulled the brothers along with her. Because they had believed in her when she was weak and crippled with fear. And, she would always believe in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiemi is one of the most personally relatable anime/manga characters I've ever encountered, and I've been wanting to write something for her for ages now. Title courtesy Optimustaud on Fanfiction.net. Thanks also to OverObsessedFangirl8804 and Elaine Wesley for the great suggestions.


	22. Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okumura Rin was counting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, references up to chapter 66.

**Title:** Countdown  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** May 28, 2015   
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           “ _You have two choices. Let us kill you… or_ you _kill_ us. _Whoops. I suppose you could kill yourself._ ”  
  
           “ _You’re pretty good at tying that thing._ ”  
  
           “ _If my teasing frustrates you, then show me you’ve grown up._ ”  
  
           Okumura Rin was counting.   
  
           He counted every taunt, every mocking echo, every hint that Mephisto knew things he had no reason, no _right_ to know.  
  
           He already owed the clown for every scheme that had hurt his friends. And, whenever he was strong enough to settle the debt, he was also going to make Mephisto pay for every violation of his father’s memory.


	23. Outdated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin had always thought demons had no fashion sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity. Set in a distant future.

**Title:** Outdated  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** June 9, 2015  
 **Warnings:** None.  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

            Rin had always thought demons had no fashion sense. Like Mephisto in all his pink and purple, polka-dotted glory. But, even the demons who weren’t obviously colorblind were almost always a few decades – or worse, _centuries_ \- out of date.  
  
            So, when he heard people whispering about _his_ clothes, it was a shock.  
  
            “....See that guy...”  
  
            “Looks like he just stepped out of 2020.”  
  
            Confused, Rin looked down at himself. Regular T-shirt. Regular pants. The shirt was faded and his pants' knees were worn, but that was normal enough. He looked the same as always. Then, he started comparing himself to the people around him and realized that was exactly the problem.   
  
            He had stopped aging sometime in his twenties, frozen forever at the age he reached physical and mental maturity. And, apparently, his tastes had frozen with him.  
  
            Huh. That explained a lot.  
  
            Well, at least he wasn’t colorblind.


	24. The Pull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demons read human hearts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse with spoilers through the Inari Arc/chapter 64.

**Title:** The Pull  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** June 27, 2015  
 **Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

            Despite what his nagging little brother thought, Okumura Rin _did_ read his cram school texts. Sometimes. And, sometimes, he even remembered what he read.  
  
            Like the book that said demons could read human hearts. That they could sense weaknesses like fear and anger and doubt. Sense and _use_ those weaknesses. Use them to tempt, to torment, to possess.  
  
            ‘ _There is no way he would have allowed Satan to enter him... unless he were mortally wounded in his soul._ ’  
  
            He’d tossed the book across the room and tried to forget about it.  
  
            Except, sometime after Kyoto when he had it together again, he started to notice that people _pulled_ at him. Especially when they were upset.   
  
            First, it was Yukio. Playing Mr. Professional Exorcist when he was scared to death and wouldn’t tell his big brother what was wrong.   
  
            Then, it was Godaiin, sitting in class terrified of some stupid low level demon and pulling hard. And, when he tried to help, Godaiin ended up scared of _him_. Which pulled even _more_. But, it worked out somehow and, by the festival, the pull was gone.   
  
            Until everything happened that night with Eyebrows and Shima, and Suguro started pulling. Always mad and sad and uncertain. Which wasn’t like Suguro at all.   
  
            Thank goodness Rin had been able to kick it out of him. Suguro went back to normal, and it made that crazy pulling thing stop.  
  
            It wasn’t until they got back from the trip to Inari – without Shima and with _everyone_ pulling at him - that Rin had time to think about what the pull _was_.   
  
            His gut? Instincts?  
  
            Demons read human hearts.  
  
            And, the son of Satan was probably supposed to be really good at it.  
  
            Rin didn’t care. All he knew was that, if he could sense when his friends were upset, then he knew when they needed help. So, he’d help. He’d pick fights until Suguro forgot to brood. He’d smile and make stupid jokes until they laughed. Someday, he’d even annoy the truth out of Yukio.   
  
            Maybe it took a demon to protect them from other demons.


	25. Transparent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin didn’t need Mephisto to tell him that keeping his tail exposed was a bad idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leans mangaverse, set anytime after the Halloween festival and the start of the Inari Arc.

**Title:** Transparent  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** September 5, 2015  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

  
Rin didn’t need Mephisto to tell him that keeping his tail exposed was a bad idea. And, it didn’t have anything to do with “demons' etiquette”.  
  
He’d never forget the sudden agony when that Amaimon creep hauled on his tail. Or those endless minutes when the exorcists’ ring clamped tight and _squeezed_.  
  
And, he knew someone else would take advantage of his tail eventually.  
  
But, that didn’t matter.  
  
And, not because he was showing off like that Lucifer guy, daring people to attack his weak spot. He wasn’t that kind of strong. Yet.  
  
But, he _was_ done lying and hiding.


	26. Fixated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mephisto knew it was the fixation that destroyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity.

**Title:** Fixated  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** October 11, 2015  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.  


* * *

  
“ _Demons are pleasure-seekers who can only destroy._ ”  
  
It was a fact Mephisto Pheles knew well.  
  
He also knew that it was the _fixation_ that destroyed. The relentless pursuit of a source of pleasure. No single object or being could withstand a demon’s attentions for long.  
  
But, if he busied himself with _enough_ fixations, none of them suffered _too_ badly.  
  
So, he was a demon and an exorcist, a headmaster and a tempter, a businessman and an otaku. All while juggling dozens of schemes to keep Father and the exorcists running in circles forever.  
  
And, the entertainment - his pleasure - never ended.


	27. Worthwhile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins celebrate their first birthday since everything changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Animeverse, post-series. Just a little post-anime short for the twins' birthday.

**Title:** Worthwhile  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** December 20, 2015  
 **Warnings:** Spoilers for the end of the anime  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

            Yukio was only picking at the birthday dinner he’d prepared, and Rin didn’t like it.

            “Oi,” he said, “what’s wrong?”

            Life had been quiet since they closed the Gehenna Gate.  Yukio had been allowed to return to his duties, and Rin had actually passed his first semester.  Now, it was Christmastime, and they should enjoy it.

            Yukio didn’t look at him.  “Is it really okay?” he murmured.  “That we were born?”

            “ _Whaaaat?_ ”

            “Being what we are,” Yukio explained.  The tail he usually kept hidden twitched for emphasis.

            Rin growled low in his throat, and Yukio looked up.

            “Are you still saying things like that?” said Rin.  He jabbed his chopsticks at Yukio.  “After everything that happened?  After all everyone did for us?”

            “Everyone—?”

            “Shiemi told me,” Rin clarified.  “They could’ve been killed trying to save me.  Even without Satan showing up.  She said that Angel creep nearly took Eyebrows’ head off.”  He slapped the chopsticks down on the table, voice rising.  “And, what about the Old Man?  He didn’t see anything wrong with raising us.  And, he…”  Rin’s voice wavered.  “He _died_ to get Satan away from me!”  He stood then, shouting.  “So, don’t say we shouldn’t be alive when everyone has done so much to keep us that way!”

            Yukio stared at him, and Rin glared back.

            “Brother….”  Yukio ducked his head and then looked up with sober eyes.  “You’re right.”

            “Of course I am.”

            “Yes, yes.”  Yukio smiled.

            “Now, eat your dinner and enjoy it!”

            “Yes, yes.”


	28. There's No "Human Shield" in Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Konekomaru told you to be our trump card, not our shield!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Learns mangaverse anytime after Chapter 43/the Seven Mysteries Arc.

**Title:** There's No "Human Shield" in Team  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** January 4, 2016  
 **Warnings:** None  
 **Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

             ‘ _He’s doing it again_.’

            Suguro cursed, watching Okumura dive between Kamiki’s familiars to slash at a leaping hobgoblin before lunging over the burning corpse to attack another angling for Moriyama.  He landed too close.  Much closer than Moriyama, who had been using her familiar to tangle the hobgoblins in vines from a distance.  Close enough that sharp claws tore through one pant leg.  But, the half-demon ignored it, hacking the hobgoblin in half before finally jumping back to the position he was _supposed_ to be holding guarding Konekomaru.

            When, not a minute later, Okumura jumped in front of _him_ to block a hobgoblin’s charge, Suguro saw red.  Speed fueled by fury, he swung around the blue-burning idiot and smacked the attacking demon aside with his bazooka.  The creature tumbled into the young teach’s path and was destroyed.  
    
            The danger past, Suguro turned on Okumura.  “What’re you doing, you idiot?  Stop trying to do everything yourself!  Konekomaru told you to be our trump card, not our shield!”

            Okumura gaped back stupidly.  “Eh?”

            “He’s right,” Konekomaru agreed as their group drew together.  “And, you can’t be the best trump card if you’re injured.”

            “But, I—”                    

            “It’s not like we’re helpless without you,” Kamiki sniffed, looked away.  “And, even you take a few minutes to heal up.”

            “We want you safe too,” Moriyama added.  “You trust us to do our parts, don’t you, Rin?”

            Okumura ducked his head at their combined assault.  “Y—yeah.”  He looked back up, smiling.  “Yeah, I do.”


	29. Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yukio needs a broader vision; everyone else seems to have found one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse with spoilers through chapter 80.

**Title:** Vision  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** July 31, 2016   
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           “ _Everyone carries a burden but also cares for others._ ”  
  
           Staring unseeing at the bare hospital wall, Yukio thought of his brother, who risked his life and sanity to draw on his hellish power again and again to protect others. He thought of Shura, born knowing she had three short decades and choosing to spend her dwindling time teaching Rin. He thought of his students, all born into ancestral duties, willingly undertaking a mission that should have been reserved for adults to save Kamiki and an assumed traitor.   
  
           “ _But, not me. I’m so obsessed with myself that I can’t see anyone else!_ ”   
  
           Ever since his first encounter with Todo Saburota, he had only been going through the motions of duty. He attended class. He fulfilled his missions. But, his mind was always on himself. On who and _what_ he was.  
  
           “ _I can’t keep going like this! I need a broader vision!_ ”   
  
           What else was there?   
  
           “ _Now, you’re free._ ”  
  
           Seeing Shura’s face in that moment and, later, caught in her sudden, honest hug, he had almost felt free himself. Like he had watching Shiemi take her first wobbling steps after the dekalp was exorcised.  
  
           A knock and the door opened a crack.  
  
           “Mr. Okumura?” A doctor Yukio recognized as one of the Order’s hospital contacts stepped inside. “How are you feeling this morning?”  
  
           Something clicked into place.   
  
           Yukio smiled. “Much better. Can you tell me who I might talk to if I wanted to enroll in one of the hospital’s student programs?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlikely? Yes, but I can dream.


	30. Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eight year old Rin had a bloody fist, a bloody nose, and a defiant scowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, pre-series.

**Title:** Lessons   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** November 6, 2016   
**Rating:**  G  
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           Eight year old Rin had a bloody fist, a bloody nose, and a defiant scowl.  
  
           “I ignored them,” he said.  
  
           “Yes, until they pushed Yukio down,” his father agreed. “He told me.”  
  
           “So?” Rin waited for his punishment.  
  
           Fujimoto Shiro had no intention of giving one. Three teenagers against two little boys? They might have been content with pushing and taunting. They might not.   
  
           Shiro only knew he was  _glad_  Rin had fought back.   
  
           “I think,” he began, eyeing Rin’s torn knuckles, “it’s time I taught you how to throw a punch without hurting yourself.”  
  
            Rin stared at him with wide eyes. Then, looked away, ducking his head.  
  
           “What is it?”   
  
           “It’s better if it hurts,” said Rin. “So I know to stop.”  
  
           Squeezing Rin’s shoulders gently, Shiro knelt to look him in the eye. “You’ll know. I know you will.” He grinned. “Now, the trick to a proper punch...”


	31. Makeshift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the twins' second birthday, and Shiro is still getting the hang of this fatherhood thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any continuity, pre-series.

**Title:** Makeshift   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** December 27, 2016   
**Rating:**  G  
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           The birthday cake was a two day old Christmas cake from a convenience store. The presents were plushes out of a machine. All of it was last minute, and all of it was proof that Fujimoto Shiro had no business raising children.  
  
           Because he had completely forgotten that it was the twins’ birthday until Nagatomo reminded him that morning. (In his defense, it was only the second time the issue had come up.)  
  
           Still, Shiro thought, it would be the ultimate irony if the boys grew up to be maladjusted psychopaths not because of their hellish biological father but because of their bumbling adopted one.  
  
           And yet, two pairs of blue eyes sparkled when he brought in the cake with its candle-bearing Santa Claus, and the presents somehow earned delighted squeals. It didn’t excuse him, but it did give him a fresh resolve to become worthy of those bright smiles.


	32. Uncool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spies are pretty cool, right? Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, set post-Illuminati Arc with references to the Kyoto Arc.

**Title:** Uncool  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** March 9, 2017   
**Rating:** K  
**Warnings:** None.   
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

          Shima entered the cram school classroom on a mission. There. There was his target.  
  
          “Oi!” He planted himself in front of an already dozing Okumura. “Now that you know I’m a spy doesn’t that get me to the top of your cool list?” he demanded.  
  
          Okumura blinked up at him. Then, he cocked his head. “Mmm, I guess spies are pretty cool,” he said.  
  
          Shima nodded eagerly.   
  
          “But, you made everyone worry, and we still can’t trust you, so...” Okumura shrugged. “It evens out so you’re in the same spot.”  
  
          “ _What?_ ” Shima wilted. Then, rallied. “Am I at least higher than the  _cat?_ ”  
  
          “No way. Kuro’s ten times cooler than you.”  
  
          As Shima stumbled across the room to collapse into his seat, he heard Koneko whisper something to Bon.  
  
          “Don’t try to understand,” Bon said. “Just know that he deserves it.”  
  
          “Pathetic,” Kamiki sniffed.  
  
          So cruel. Everyone was so cruel.


	33. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That is what the Order's really like."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, an indeterminate time after Chapter 96. Possible spoilers for manga Chapter 81 to present.

**Title:** Revelation  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** December 20, 2017  
**Rating:** G  
**Warnings:** None beyond spoilers.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

           “ _That_ is what the Order’s really like.”   
  
           There. He’d told his brother everything. About the experiments, the cloning. About every desperate grasp the demons who ran the Order had made to prolong their own existences.  
  
           Breathing hard, Yukio watched Rin’s face.  
  
           It was unreadable.  
  
           “Yeah,” Rin said quietly. “That fits what you told me back with that Phantom Train thing.”  
  
           “ _What?_ ”  
  
           Rin shrugged. “You said exorcists don’t save people; they fight demons.”   
  
           He had, hadn’t he? Because he learned it from…  
  
           “Father told me that.”  
  
           Impossibly, Rin smiled.  
  
           “So, he warned you.”  
  
           And, everything Yukio thought he knew slid sideways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wishful thinking, I live for it.


	34. Cooldown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation didn't go quite the way Yukio had thought it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse, immediately after Chapter 96.

**Title:** Cooldown   
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** December 27, 2017   
**Rating:** K  
**Warnings:** None beyond potential spoilers for the events of manga chapter 96.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

         Rin was charging toward him, blazing with blue fire.  And, as he felt the now-familiar burn behind his eyes, Yukio experienced an odd thrill.  Finally, they could settle this.

         Except Rin was suddenly gone, sliding around the burst from his eyes. 

         Before Yukio could turn, weight slammed into the small of his back and drove him to the ground.  He started to twist and throw Rin off. 

         Stinging cold slid down his neck and back in an icy wave. 

         “What are you doing?” he shrieked.

         “You,” said Rin, stuffing another handful of snow down his coat, “need to _cool off_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because Rin and I are ten years old at heart. Written for Sage SK.


	35. Typical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not that Mephisto ever helped, but maybe the idiot would make a decent distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a fan-translated summary of the third Blue Exorcist light novel, "Bloody Fairytale", which involves an exorcist who is secretly experimenting on people to create a Naberius and how her plans are thwarted by a pair of travellers who call themselves Shiro and Johan. I haven't read the novel, but this is how I imagine the story ending.

**Title:** Typical  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** May 31, 2018  
**Rating:** K  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Continuity:** Any, Pre-series.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

            The final Naberius was enormous, hideous, and smelled as putrid as expected of a monstrosity made from stitched-together corpses.

            “Tch.” Shiro ground his cigarette between his teeth as he mentally ran through his remaining weapons and ammunition. They should be enough. Just.

            “Oi, _Johan_ ,” he started. Not that Mephisto ever _helped_ , but maybe the idiot would make a decent distraction. 

            Except the demon king was suddenly nowhere in sight. 

            Typical.

            Swearing, Shiro released the safety on his weapon and grimly focused on the Naberius.

            It was over in twenty minutes. Over and all over. Mostly all over Shiro.

            He stood in the center of the stinking mess and vowed to burn his clothes.  Right after he had a smoke.  Keeping his gun warily on the largest Naberius remnant, he reached into a pocket with his free hand.  

            Gloopy cellophane slid free.  Swearing, Shiro tossed the ruined cigarettes away.

            “Ah!” 

            Shiro turned to see a gaudy pink umbrella pop into the room followed - cautiously - by Mephisto’s face. 

            “There you are.” Tiptoeing around the stinking mess, Mephisto beamed at him. “All done here?”

            Shiro felt his trigger finger twitch. “No. I think there’s one more demon I need to exorcise.”


	36. Persistence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trick was to keep your spirits up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mangaverse. Spoilers for Chapters 100 and up. Written for SageSK after reading Chapter 102.

**Title:** Persistence  
**Author:** Kristen Sharpe  
**Date:** August 8, 2018  
**Rating:** K  
**Warnings:** Spoilers for Chapters 100 and up.  
**Continuity:** Mangaverse.  
**Disclaimer:** “Ao no Exorcist/Blue Exorcist” belongs to Kazue Katou, Shueisha, Aniplex, and various other parties.

* * *

            Shiro’s harsh words and harsher actions hurt, but Yuri was no stranger to hurt. Not back at her first home - for all Oku and Obaba had tried to shield her - and certainly not in the Asylum. The trick was to keep your spirits up.

            So, the next time they met on a mission, she smiled at Shiro and announced, “See? I’m not dead yet.”

            He ignored her.

            A year later, she passed him in the halls. “Shiro! I’m an exwire now!”

            He might have grunted in acknowledgement. Or he had gas.

            Six months passed, and she was filthy but elated at saving a small town from an outbreak of gremlins. Seeing Shiro arriving with their backup, she waved and smiled at him. “It’s under control. And, it’s amazing how not-dead my stupidity has made me.”

            His eye twitched. “I could fix that for you.”

            Her smile only brightened with triumph.


End file.
